Potato Volcano

Steve Mann

Who says you can't play with your food? You'll use your hands to sculpt the mashed potatoes, and then scoop out a volcano crater to hold extra cheese sauce for tree–I mean broccoli–dunking. Just be sure to let the cheese cool first, or you'll suffer from lava-mouth.

Level:
Easy

Yield:
3 doomed islands

Ingredients

6 red potatoes

water

1 tsp. salt

1 c. broccoli florets

¼ c. milk

Salt and pepper to taste

.67 c. grated Cheddar cheese

¼ c. whipping cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the potatoes chunks into the pot with the salt and enough water to cover them by at least three inches. Boil the potatoes for about 12 minutes, or until they're soft.

While the potatoes are boiling, steam the broccoli florets by putting 1⁄2 inch of water in the small pot with the broccoli. Cover the pot, and cook 7 minutes on medium-high heat.

Turn off the stove, and get an adult to drain the potatoes in the colander. Then dump the potatoes back into the pot, add the milk, and mash, mash, mash until you've gotten all of the lumps out that you can!

Taste the mashed potatoes. Add the salt and the pepper until the potatoes taste delicious to you. Remember, the cheese will boost the flavor of the finished dish. Then form the potatoes into a cone on the serving plate. Use the fork to make ridges, so it looks like a craggy mountain. Make a crater indentation at the top that looks like a little bowl.

Pour the whipping cream into the mixing bowl. Whip the cream with the electric mixer until it forms soft peaks. Stir in the cheese. Spoon the cream and- cheese mixture into the volcano crater. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheesy lava is bubbling and oozing down the sides.

Remove the potato volcano from the oven (use your potholders), and decorate the base of the volcano with broccoli. Wait for the lava flow to cool before you devour this delicious disaster.